QC: Spirit / MrAldo / Rakan
GP: Eyan / The Dutch Plumberjack
[OVERVIEW]
Durant serves as one of RU's strongest wallbreakers due to its great coverage and Hustle-boosted Attack stat, allowing it to threaten bulkier teams and offensive teams alike. Its great Speed tier allows Durant to outspeed Galvantula, Virizion, Zoroark, and Shaymin. Despite its bad HP and Special Defense stats, its great defensive typing and good Defense stat allow Durant to check the likes of Registeel, Stoutland, and Mega Glalie. On the other hand, while Hustle is the main reason behind Durant's wallbreaking power, since it boosts the power of its attacks by 50%, it also cuts the accuracy of its attacks by 20% of their original accuracy, meaning that Durant can be inconsistent at times as a wallbreaker. Also, as mentioned, poor Special Defense means that Durant is easily forced out by special attackers such as Salazzle and Jolteon; it can also be broken past by attacks from special attackers that Durant resists, such as Espeon, which 2HKOes Durant with Psychic.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Iron Head
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Rock Slide
item: Life Orb
ability: Hustle
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Iron Head is Durant's main STAB move, and it is used to hit Rhyperior, Gigalith, Florges, and Diancie while also providing good coverage overall against Ground-types like Donphan and Gligar and Grass-types like Roserade and Virizion. Crunch is Durant's best way to hit Doublade, which takes the rest of Durant's coverage options with ease, while also hitting bulky Psychic-types like Cresselia, Reuniclus, and Slowbro. Superpower provides great coverage in hitting Registeel, Umbreon, Pangoro, and Escavalier in one slot, which is useful if Durant is running Crunch for better coverage overall. Rock Slide hits Fire- and Flying-type threats like Mantine, Salazzle, Rotom-H, and Moltres on the switch. X-Scissor may be used over Crunch to hit Psychic-types like Slowbro, Necrozma, and Cresselia harder; it also hits bulky Dark-types like Umbreon and is most notably Durant's best option to hit bulky Water-types like Milotic, Quagsire, and Pyukumuku. However, running X-Scissor over Crunch causes Durant to lose coverage against Doublade.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed and Attack investment with a Jolly nature lets Durant outspeed up to Virizion, Galvantula, and Zoroark while letting it hit as hard as possible. Life Orb gives Durant great power with the ability to switch its moves, which is useful against threats like Doublade, which can take all of Durant's attacks except for Crunch. Choice Band can be used instead to let Durant hit its hardest without a boost with the drawback of locking it into a move. Hustle is Durant's best ability, as it gives Durant a 50% increase in power to its attacks at the cost of 20% accuracy.
Usage Tips
========
Durant can come into the match either with the assistance of Volt Switch and U-turn users such as Rotom-H and Flygon or after a teammate has been taken out so that Durant can revenge kill the foe using its great Speed tier. Due to Durant's relatively middling bulk, only try to directly switch into more passive threats that cannot directly threaten it such as Registeel and Bronzong as well as physical attackers that Durant checks such as Stoutland and Mega Glalie. If using Choice Band over Life Orb, Durant requires more prediction to wallbreak against the enemy team; for example, using Rock Slide against a predicted Mantine or Salazzle switch-in is a good idea, or if there is a Doublade on the opposing team, Crunch can be used to predict it switching into Durant. Take care, however, if the threat in front of Durant can OHKO it if you predict incorrectly. To elaborate further, if the opponent's team has many threats that can get 2HKOed by Iron Head, it is likely that they will switch into a Steel-resistant Pokemon such as Milotic, for example; decide based on the situation and the opponent's team what the best coverage option to go for would be. However, if using Life Orb, Durant is more able to freely use its coverage at the cost of some of its health each turn, meaning it gets worn down more easily. That said, the ability to switch its moves means that Durant is more easily able to threaten teams that rely on slower switch-ins.
Team Options
========
Due to Durant's poor Special Defense, partners like Escavalier and Snorlax that help handle special attackers such as Espeon, Swellow, and Jolteon are greatly appreciated; checks to Swellow such as Rhyperior and Gigalith can also support Durant by setting up Stealth Rock for it. Given that Durant can lure out Doublade and significantly damage it by using Crunch, partners that appreciate it weakened such as Gardevoir, Virizion, and Espeon pair well with Durant. Fire-type checks are very useful when using Durant so that Salazzle and Rotom-H do not gain momentum on it; Rhyperior, Goodra, Dragalge, and Gigalith can handle them. Partners that deal with bulky Ground-types like Gligar and Donphan are greatly appreciated due to the fact that Durant has difficulty breaking past them; the likes of Bruxish, Shaymin, and Mega Glalie perform this role well.
[SET]
name: Hone Claws
move 1: Hone Claws
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Superpower
item: Darkinium Z / Life Orb
ability: Hustle
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Hone Claws is Durant's most useful setup move, raising its Attack and accuracy, which mitigates the accuracy reduction from Hustle; when used with Darkinium Z, Z-Hone Claws raises Durant's Attack by +2, maximizing its wallbreaking potential. Iron Head is Durant's main STAB move, which lets it hit Gigalith, Florges, and Rhyperior while providing great coverage against Gligar. Crunch is necessary on this set in order to hit Doublade while also providing great coverage against Psychic-types like Slowbro, Cresselia, and Reuniclus; Crunch can also be powered by Darkinium Z to turn into a 160-Base Power Black Hole Eclipse, which notably OHKOes Doublade from full at +1, something a +2 Crunch fails to do. Superpower provides great coverage for Durant, letting it hit Steel- and Dark-types like Umbreon, Pangoro, and Registeel.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack and Speed investment with a Jolly nature lets Durant outspeed up to Virizion and Galvantula while maximizing its offensive potential. Hustle is the main ability used for this set, as Durant's Attack is increased with the drawback of having lower accuracy, which is negated by Hone Claws. Darkinium Z lets Durant use either Z-Hone claws for +2 Attack or Black Hole Eclipse which can OHKO Moltres at +1 as opposed to +2 Crunch which fails to do so. Life Orb is a perfectly acceptable alternative to Darkinium Z, as it gives Durant a consistently high damage output, but the recoil can affect its ability to set up.
Usage Tips
========
This set allows Durant far more freedom than a Choice-locked set when it comes to using its coverage options, so Durant is free to attack whatever threat is in front of it using its great coverage. Z-Hone Claws can be used to give Durant a +2 Attack boost whenever it forces out a threat that it checks such as Mega Glalie, while Black Hole Eclipse is best saved for hitting a faster threat such as Salazzle on the switch, OHKOing it in the process. Alternatively, Hone Claws into Black Hole Eclipse allows Durant to take out threats at +1 Attack that would not normally be taken out by a +2 Crunch such as Mantine; +1 Black Hole Eclipse also notably takes out Doublade from full, making this set a great answer to it. Iron Head is generally Durant's most spammable move to use, netting great coverage against the likes of Rock-, Fairy- and Grass-types such as Rhyperior, Florges, and Shaymin; if the foe that comes in is slower than Durant, it can use its proper coverage move to attack what is in front of it, such as using Superpower against Umbreon, for instance.
Team Options
========
Partners that appreciate Doublade lured and taken out such as Heracross, Espeon, and Gardevoir work well with this set; Choice Scarf Gardevoir and Heracross can even provide Durant's team with speed control. If Durant is running Darkinium Z over Life Orb, it is noticeably weaker without a boost, so running a powerful wallbreaker such as Flame Orb Heracross or Pangoro is a good idea so that it can pair with Durant in breaking down defensive teams. Due to Durant's pitiful special bulk, it needs partners to take on strong special attackers that threaten it like Fire-types such as Salazzle and Rotom-H as well as Psychic-types such as Espeon and Gardevoir, which can break past Durant with ease. Rhyperior, Aerodactyl, Dragalge, and Goodra can take on Fire-types, while partners like Sneasel can take on Psychic-types; Sneasel and Aerodactyl have the added benefit of providing Pursuit support for Durant.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Iron Head
move 2: X-Scissor
move 3: Rock Slide
move 4: Superpower
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Hustle
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Iron Head is Durant's primary STAB move, which is used for hitting Rhyperior, Florges, and Diancie. X-Scissor is Durant's secondary STAB move, which hits Psychic- and Dark-types such as Reuniclus, Cresselia, Slowbro, Pangoro, and Umbreon. Rock Slide is used to revenge kill Fire- and Flying-types such as Salazzle, Rotom-H, and Swellow. Superpower allows Durant to hit Registeel and revenge kill threats such as Adamant Stoutland under sand, which this set outspeeds. Crunch is an option over X-Scissor to hit Psychic-types with the added benefit of hitting Doublade, although it is not as strong on this set, as it only 3HKOes Doublade.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed and Attack investment is used so that Durant can make the most of its offensive capabilities. A Jolly nature with a Choice Scarf allows it to outspeed Modest Venusaur in sun, Adamant Stoutland under sand, and +1 Flygon and +2 neutral-natured Cloyster. An Adamant nature may be used instead, which provides Durant with extra power while still being able to outspeed the likes of Choice Scarf users such as Rotom-H, Heracross, and Gardevoir. Hustle gives Durant a 50% Attack boost, which is necessary so that this set can revenge kill with ease while also allowing Durant to potentially sweep late-game.
Usage Tips
========
This set is primarily used to revenge kill threats such as Adamant Stoutland under sand, Choice Scarf Shaymin, and Belly Drum Linoone due to Durant's phenomenal Speed tier when equipped with a Choice Scarf. Although it can come in on physical attackers like Mega Glalie and Stoutland, be wary of switching it in liberally due to its middling bulk. When Durant comes in, it can either go for the proper coverage move to revenge kill what is in front of it or predict the switch into something that checks it, for example, using Rock Slide on a predicted switch into Salazzle. Iron Head is generally this set's most spammable move, so judge based on the opponent's team whether to go for Iron Head or an appropriate coverage move. Along with revenge killing, this Durant set can pose as a great late-game sweeper as soon as its checks, such as Doublade, have been weakened.
Team Options
========
Partners that appreciate having a strong form of speed control that can outspeed and revenge kill Venusaur in sun and Flygon after a Dragon Dance boost pair well with Durant. Since this set has difficulty breaking past bulkier walls such as Doublade, wallbreakers like Kommo-o, which appreciates Choice Scarf Durant's speed control, also pair very well with this set; Nasty Plot Salazzle can break down many bulkier builds that Durant has issues dealing with and can even take out bulky Water-types like Mantine for Durant with a +2 Acid Downpour. Zoroark can disguise itself and lure out Doublade to hit it with a Choice Specs-boosted Dark Pulse, while Zoroark appreciates Durant's ability to revenge kill the likes of Choice Scarf Gardevoir, which threatens Zoroark. Partners that deal with Fire-types help alleviate prediction so that Durant does not have to hit them on the switch with Rock Slide; offensive Water-types such as Bruxish perform this role well.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Thunder Fang is an option that allows Durant to hit bulky Water-types, mainly Mantine, while still netting coverage against other Flying-types such as Swellow; however, the loss of Rock-type coverage means Fire-types like Salazzle and Rotom-H have an easier time switching in on Durant. Agility is an option that allows Durant to outspeed the entire boosted metagame and threaten foes with its strong coverage moves, although this means it forgoes the extra power from Hone Claws or a fourth coverage move. Substitute can be used to alleviate prediction so that Durant can take advantage of the switches that it causes to terrorize defensive teams, which have difficulty playing around Durant.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire-types**: Although Salazzle, Moltres, and Rotom-H all must watch out for Rock Slide, they can into Durant's STAB moves with ease and threaten it back with a super effective STAB move.
**Faster Special Attackers**: Due to Durant's poor special bulk, many special attackers can take advantage of it, such as Noivern, Swellow, and even Espeon, despite Durant resisting its STAB moves.
**Doublade**: Doublade resists Durant's STAB combination and coverage aside from Crunch and can take advantage of a Choice-locked Durant to set up Swords Dance and threaten Durant's teammates.
**Gligar**: Gligar is one of the strongest answers to Durant, having great physical bulk to avoid the 2HKO from Choice Band-boosted Iron Head after Stealth Rock, meaning that it can freely set up Stealth Rock, clear entry hazards using Defog, or Roost off any damage Durant deals to it.
**Bulky Water-types**: Although bulky Water-types such as Mantine and Jellicent fear Durant's coverage moves in Rock Slide and Crunch, respectively, they resist its STAB combination and threaten it out with the fear of Scald or Will-O-Wisp in the case of Jellicent. Quagsire and Pyukumuku are especially notable examples due to having the Unaware ability, and they can take all attacks besides Choice Band-boosted Superpower or X-Scissor and recover off the damage.
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